Freeze Warning
by Carmensandiego79
Summary: Liz and Ressler find themselves stranded out in the cold while on assignment in the field. Their dire circumstances allow truths to be admitted that forever change their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

She looked over at him and smirked.

"You're lost." She says as she sees him getting more agitated with every mile they pass. "Just admit it, Ressler."

He frowns and squints, thinking he sees something in the snowy distance. "I'm not lost, Keen. The crossroad should be coming up soon."

She can't contain her laughter as it escapes her mouth. "You do realize you've been saying that for almost 30 minutes, right?"

She picks up her phone from her lap and looks at the phone signal bars again in the top left corner.

 _No Service._

Ressler and Keen had been on their way back to their airport hotel from visiting a lead in Boise on their new case. After spending almost half of the day interrogating Mrs. Salvano on her former and current relationship with her mobster ex-husband, the woman had ended up not being able to tell them much. She claimed she had no idea where the "son of a bitch" was and if the agents did find him, to send him and his late alimony payments to her door.

Ressler sighed heavily.

"Ok. Maybe I am a little lost." He admitted to her, softly.

"HA!" She said loudly. "Was that so hard? We just wasted over half an hour going the wrong way because you couldn't admit a fault."

He looked over at her and furrowed his brow. Liz was right, but he'd never admit it. Ressler hated being wrong… especially when it came to directions. He knew it was one of his character flaws. He was working on it.

"Just for the record, I don't admit fault." He stared back at the road and saw a truck in his rear view mirror. "An accident took us off the highway and onto this god forsaken road to nowhere."

"Well, regardless of fault, I don't want to be stuck on this road out here when it turns dark. It's only 30 degrees outside and getting colder by the minute." She looked out the window, watching the white snow covered mountains in the distance as they continued on.

When she saw movement in her side view mirror of a black Ford F150 approaching them from behind, she turned to him.

"Why don't we try to flag down this truck to see if they can help us get to the airport? I swear to God, Ressler, if we miss our flight and have to stay the night here, I'm going to scream."

He smiled. "No love for Idaho, Keen? Got a hot date waiting for you back home?"

"Funny", she said as she pursed her lips and looked at him. "I wouldn't know what that was if it was staring me back in the face."

Ressler looked over at her and saw her eyes turn away and look down. He knew the sacrifices they both made for this job. It wasn't easy. And he hadn't meant to strike a nerve with his last comment.

"Don't feel bad, Liz. 99% of the guys out there aren't good enough for you anyway. You're not missing out on much."

He instantly bit his lip, knowing his comments hadn't helped the situation any. Even still, she looked over at him and smiled.

He realized he'd been staring back at her for a few seconds too long and averted his eyes back to the road and the car approaching them, which was now only about 500 feet away.

He saw her roll her window down, bracing the cold air that instantly filled up their rental SUV, and he pushed the button to roll his window down as well as he slowed down a bit as the truck got closer.

Liz put her hand out of the window to flag them down and instantly knew something was wrong.

The truck was not slowing down even though Liz and Ressler's SUV was right in front of them and the road was only one lane per direction.

"Ressler!", she shouted as she pulled her hand back inside.

"I know." He stated back as he pressed the acceleration on their vehicle.

He watched as the truck closed the distance between them, even with Ressler's best efforts, and hit their SUV from behind.

"Shit!", Ressler yelled as his body jerked forward. He grabbed the wheel harder as he tried to control the car from going into the icy ditch to the right of the road.

"Ressler, who are they? Get us out of here!" Liz yelled as she watched the truck prepare to hit them again. She tried to grab her gun from her side but couldn't reach it in time.

She felt her body jerk forward again and braced herself as Ressler tried to steer the SUV straight after being hit a second time.

"Liz, we can't out race them. Not in this shitty rental", he said as he looked over at her panic stricken face. "Are you fastened in?", he asked, even though he could see the seat belt restraint against her chest.

"Yeah", she said as her voice cracked.

They both watched as the truck maneuvered left and side swiped their car with blunt force, causing them to spin out. Ressler gripped the wheel, knowing not to turn against the spin. He looked over at Liz, who was holding his arm with one hand and the dashboard with the other, as he felt the car roll over and hit something hard.

It was the last thing he remembered before the blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

Cold. It was the first thing he felt as his eyes slowly opened and the realization of what had just happened hit him.

"Liz!", he screamed as he turned his head to his right and saw her eyes closed and head bent over.

He moved his body, unbuckling his seat belt, and felt a sharp pain in his left foot. He carefully touched her neck to feel for a pulse and let out a huge sigh when her heartbeat was strong underneath his fingers.

"Liz", he said more quietly this time. "Liz, wake up."

He saw her head move slightly and her eyes flutter open. A combination of panic and relief came over her face as she slowly realized they were both alive but in a deep ditch.

"Ressler… what happened?" She moved her body to sit upright and felt him reach over and undo her seat belt so she wasn't restrained.

"I don't know." He said, tearing his eyes away from examining her and looking at their current predicament outside.

"But if I were to guess… I think we just met Mrs. Salvano's ex-husband." He heard her groan as she looked down at her stomach.

"What's wrong, are you hurt?" Ressler asked.

"I think I'm okay", she said as she pulled up her shirt slightly and saw a cut on her right upper abdomen. "I think something inside the car flew and cut me."

Ressler looked down on the floor and saw the wind shield scraper laying beside her feet.

"I think the scraper flew from the backseat. Let me take a look, is it serious?", he asked as he saw her pull down her shirt.

"No. Besides this cut, I think I'm ok." She looked over at him and saw a grimace on his face as he tried to turn his body and look for his phone in the back of the SUV. "What about you, where are you hurt?"

He sighed and looked over at her once he grabbed his cracked cell phone. "Pretty sure my left foot is broken . But it's nothing serious."

"Nothing serious?" She asked as she watched him skirt over his injury.

He looked down at his damaged cell phone and saw that the back of it had flown off during the accident and his battery was missing. He doubt it worked even if he found the battery judging from the large crack in the screen.

"Crap." He said while looking over at her. "My phone is broken. Where is yours?"

She looked around for it and found it at her feet, reaching over slowly to pick it up.

Although hers was still intact, the _No Service_ sign was still lit. What was also lit, was the battery warning flashing that she only had 2% energy left.

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Ressler, if we don't get out of here, we're going to freeze to death." She looked over at him with fearful eyes. "It's already getting darker and colder by the minute."

Ressler knew she was right. They wouldn't survive long out in the Idaho winter. He grabbed the keys and tried to turn their SUV back on to no avail. The Kia hadn't been able to survive the fall into the ditch which meant they were left without heat or a way to get out.

"All the doors are jammed shut." He said while looking out the front and back window. "Maybe I can kick in the back window and reach the road to get help."

Liz looked over at him and shook her head. "Your foot is broken, Ressler. And what happens if we do that and no one comes? We didn't see any cars other than Salvano's truck the entire time we were on this stupid road."

She stopped talking and closed her eyes. "If you kick a window in, and we don't find help, that means we don't have any shield at all from the outside air. At least in the car we can contain our body heat."

They sat in silence for a while. Each agent trying to figure out how to get themselves out of this ordeal alive.

Liz looked down at her phone again, praying for a miracle, when she saw it. One bar. Her phone had a signal.

She hit 911 as Ressler looked over at her, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I have a signal!" She shouted, trying not to move her hand with the phone so she wouldn't lose the connection.

 _911, can I have your emergency?_

"Yes, I am Federal Agent Elizabeth Keen and my partner and I were forced in a ditch on State Road 47 in Boise, Idaho."

 _Hello? You are fading in and out. Where in Boise, Idaho are you located?_

Liz screamed into the phone louder. "SR 47 in Boise, Idaho. Mile Marker 111!"

She heard the click and knew that the connection had ended.

She looked over at Ressler, who had put his head down and was rubbing his temples.

"I don't think it transmitted. She didn't hear our location." Liz said as she moved the phone around in front her, trying to pick up the signal again.

Ressler looked over at her and nodded. "I think she heard us. But, maybe we can pick up the signal again."

Liz didn't want to burst his bubble but she watched as another percentage drained off her battery.

"Ressler, I only have 1% battery left. I didn't have a chance to charge it all day."

She watched his face deflate as her words sunk in. They stared at each other, the realization hitting that they may be forced to stay the night in the car without any rescue coming.

Liz watched as the sun set between the mountains up above and the darkness grew around them. She felt herself shiver and looked over at Ressler, who was examining his foot.

"Ressler." She said quietly as he started spitting out expletives at his inability to get them out of this situation.

"Ressler!"

He looked over at her and sighed. Her hands were wrapped around her body, the cold becoming something neither of them could avoid for too much longer.

"Are you okay, Liz?" He asked, knowing she was starting to panic as the night air crept slowly into the car.

"I am", she said gently. "But I won't be for much longer if we don't find a way to conserve heat."

Ressler watched her apprehension at the unspoken reality that the best way for both of them to keep warm was to bundle up.

Together.


	3. Chapter 3

He swallowed hard and nodded, looking over at the back seat and wondering how to broach the subject.

"We need to draw off each other's body heat, Ressler. I know." She looked over at him and smiled. "It's the only way we have a chance at staying alive out here tonight."

He watched as she started to climb into the backseat of the damaged SUV and looked over at him, waiting for a response. He tried lifting his left foot and grimaced in pain as he brought his knees up to scoot himself backwards into the backseat.

"Do you need help?" Liz asked as she saw his face writhe in pain.

"No. I got it." He said as he was able to finally get himself situated beside her in the backseat.

Both agents had their winter trench coats on and silently thanked themselves for not opting for a lighter coat on this trip. Ressler looked over at Liz, who was sitting beside him, still an arm's length away.

"Liz….", he said slowly. "If this is too uncomfortable for you, we can…."

He was cut off by her laughing.

"We can what, Ressler? Die out here because we didn't want to touch each other?" He looked at her and smiled. Only Liz would cut straight through to the core.

"I'm not uncomfortable with touching you, Ressler. I just…. I'm just scared. That's all. I don't want to die out here. It can't end like this."

"Hey… Keen! No one is dying, do you understand me?" He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "I won't let that happen."

She smiled softly and nodded back at him. "Ok."

Ressler lifted his right arm and wrapped it around her body, pulling her into him as her head laid under his chin. Liz could smell his cologne. The one she always made fun of and called the Ressler Special and took a deep sigh. She slid her arms inside his coat, wrapping herself around him and holding him tight.

She instantly felt better. Warmer. And she closed her eyes, trying not to think too much about the closeness she was sharing with her partner. A closeness they had never experienced before. She could feel his arms wrapped around her, rubbing her back softly. She wondered if Ressler even realized he was doing it... coddling her to make her feel safe.

She wanted to believe him when he said they would make it out of this. But as the sky grew black and the cold got more bitter, she didn't know if he would be able to keep that promise.

….

Ressler realized they had been there for almost an hour. Liz's head resting underneath him, their bodies trying to soak up the other's heat. But it wasn't working. He could feel her starting to shiver and as much as he tried to pull her in closer, it wasn't working.

He was about to suggest a different strategy when she rose up from him and yelled.

"Oh shit!", she said, a smile speading across her face.

"Ressler, I completely forgot I packed them in my bag!"

He watched as she reached over in the front seat and grabbed her laptop bag, pulling out 4 bottles of whiskey, as shock displayed across Ressler's face.

"Liz… why the hell do you have liquor in your work bag?"

"They're my favorite kind of whiskey! I noticed them this morning in the mini-bar and I didn't want to forget to bring them so I stuffed them in my purse on my way out to meet you."

She opened one and handed it to him and he watched her open another.

"Ressler, if these weren't dire circumstances, I'm not sure I would be sharing these with you. But since we need any and all body heat we can muster…. Bottoms up."

He watched as she poured the brown whiskey into her mouth and smiled. Ressler had known his partner for over 2 years and there were still days that she surprised the hell out of him.

He swallowed the whiskey and immediately felt its effects. He felt warm. Better. He saw Liz staring at him, wanting him to comment on how good the whiskey was. Ressler didn't have the heart to tell her he preferred Jameson over what he had just swallowed.

She was about to resume her previous position when Ressler stopped her.

"Liz, we aren't getting warm enough sitting like this." He watched as her eyes looked at him, knowing he was right.

"We need to lay flat." He said as he watched her face closely. "The backseat is big. I can lay on top of you and create a cocoon. It will help you from feeling the colder air that's seeping in."

Liz looked at him, worry set on her face. "And what about you? I'll be underneath and you'll still be cold."

"I'll be fine, Liz. That horrible whiskey we just drank did its job of warming me up some. Plus, I'll still be next to you. I'll be warm."

She nodded and laid down on the backseat, staring Ressler in his eyes as she did so. The moment was intimate. More intimate than Ressler had expected. He stared back at her, knowing the level of trust she had in him to be okay with this. He slowly laid himself on top of her, careful not to move his left foot too much and trying not to put his whole weight on her.

He felt her find the inside of his jacket again and shivered when her hands grazed his abdomen and grasped his back. He told himself it was from the cold… but it wasn't.

When he felt himself settle in to a comfortable position on top of her, he looked into her eyes, making sure she was ok. This was ok.

"I'm ok, Ressler. You don't have to brace yourself. I can handle your weight. The closer we get, the more warmth we'll feel."

He nodded and laid his full weight on top of her. His head laid next to hers, briefly touching cheek to cheek before he pulled away some. Her chest raised heavily as he felt her sigh and he closed his eyes to concentrate on keeping whatever warmth they could between them.

Minutes went by as they laid there.

Liz finally broke the silence between them.

"Ressler… If we don't make it out of here, I want you to know something."

"Stop it Keen. Stop. We're getting out of here."

Liz felt his body tense on top of hers but continued on.

"I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. How much I've learned from you. How much I respect you."

He sighed heavily, trying not to move and break the contact between them.

"Liz….", he said softly.

"You don't have to say anything back. I just needed you to know."

He felt her grab him tighter and he instinctively did the same to her.

"I feel the same, you know…. about you." The last two words drifted out of his mouth slowly. He was careful to choose his next words. He knew they were vulnerable now. And he struggled with the need to tell her how much she meant to him but also to keep her thinking positive.

"I care about you Keen. A lot more than you know."

She opened her mouth to speak but realized he wasn't done.

"A lot more than I allow myself to admit..."


	4. Chapter 4

Her breath caught in her chest as she heard Ressler's words. She knew he cared for her. She would be completely blind to think otherwise. And she cared for him. But something about the way he said that last sentence made her cheeks flush… even in the 30 degree car.

"What do you mean?" She said softly.

"It's nothing, Keen. Forget I said it."

But she wouldn't. She couldn't.

"Why don't you allow yourself to admit that you care for your partner, Ressler?"

She heard him inhale slowly and blow the hot hair in the back of her neck.

"Since Audrey… I just..." He stopped for a moment, trying to come up with the best words. The most honest words to tell her.

"I just haven't allowed myself to feel. For anyone. For anything, but the job."

He bit his lip as he kept talking.

"But you… you for some reason break down those walls, Liz. It terrifies me." His voice trailed off into a whisper.

She closed her eyes and continued holding onto him. Her partner. A man who had protected her, lied for her, put her above everything, including himself at times.

She understood what he meant. Their relationship… it terrified her at times, too.

She leaned the side of her face into him, softly rubbing her cheek against his. She felt him respond and burrow his face into her neck, gladly accepting this new found comfort. They were opening up to each other. Peeling away the layers and getting to the truth. And she told herself this was okay… these boundaries that they were crossing were still within the realm of a platonic partnership. Until she felt his lips graze her neck and kiss it softly, eliciting a warmth within her body that no car heater would have ever been able to provide her.

"Ressler…", she said, noting how much it sounded like a moan escaping her lips.

He instantly pulled his face away from hers, shifting his body to try and get off of her.

"God, Liz. Jesus. I didn't mean…."

She cut him off by pulling him back down and placing her face against his again. She ran her lips against his cheeks, feeling him shudder underneath her touch. Liz knew she needed to stop. She was stepping well over the boundaries of their friendship and entering territory that neither of them were ready for. And as much as she told herself it was to keep warm, she knew it was because she wanted to feel him like this. To see what it was like to be with him like this.

She felt him ease his body back fully on top of hers again, his hands finding the side of her chest and caressing his way down to her hips. Ressler stopped himself. He knew going any further down, running hands along her thighs, would be dangerous. But when he felt her kiss his face, her lips softly making him melt with each impact, he couldn't help himself.

His hands traveled lower, running over the outside of her thighs and gently squeezing her ass. He heard her breathe in deep, turning her head away slightly and giving him access to her neck. He moved his lips to her soft skin and kissed all over, gently sucking above her collarbone.

He heard her moan and pulled his head up from kissing her neckline to lift himself to her face. She watched as he brought his lips down on hers. Softly. Gently. Their first kiss was slow. Neither one wanting to rush it.

 _She tasted sweet_ , Ressler thought to himself. And soon, the intensity was starting to build. He felt Liz suck his bottom lip and he groaned, grinding his hips into her reflexively and immediately noticing her jerk reaction when she felt him.

 _Jesus_ , Ressler thought. It was 20 degrees outside and he was hard as a rock against her. His body damn near sweating from the heat they were creating in the backseat.

He felt Liz stick her tongue in his mouth and devour him. She lifted her left leg, and began grinding her hips into his, wanting to feel every bit of him against her.

"Liz…", he moaned her name, pulled away slightly from her kiss. "I need to be inside of you."

She kissed him hard again and he felt her hands at his belt buckle, trying to undo it as he lifted his body up slightly.

He ran his hands underneath her shirt, his fingers gliding against her bra. She felt his thumb trace over her nipple and opened her eyes as she moaned.

"Don.….", she said, drawing his name out.

 _Shit_. Ressler thought. They were really going to do this.

Liz reached her head up to reclaim his lips when she stopped suddenly and saw what she thought was a light above.

Ressler looked at her face, wondering what was wrong, when he turned his head and looked up.

Flashing Red & Blue Lights.

Rescue.

He looked back down at Liz, who was now staring back at him. Fear riddled all over her face.

Ressler realized he had stopped breathing and inhaled deeply. He pulled his hand from under her shirt. His belt buckle clinking together as he sat up to get off of her.

He watched her lift herself up and look down, closing her eyes.

 _Fuck_ , he thought to himself. _What the hell had they just done._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you all SO much for the wonderful comments! I love this story and am obsessed with continuing it on! I hope you enjoy the next few chapters and expect more from me soon!** _

* * *

His eyes watched her like a hawk. Never leaving her sight as he saw the paramedic tending to her, putting the finishing touches on the stitches to her abdomen.

But she never looked up. Never looked at him. Even though he knew she could feel his eyes on her. Begging her to tell him that she was okay. That they were okay.

Ressler heard another paramedic comment again on how lucky the two of them were to survive 3 hours in below freezing temperatures without proper attire. Noting how their body temperatures should've been much lower than what they were, given the circumstances.

Neither agent told them what the reason for that was…

Ressler closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his right hand.

They had messed up. _He_ had messed up. Complicated things with the one person in his life that he gave a damn about.

He vaguely heard the paramedic explain to him that they were taking him to the hospital about 30 minutes away to put a proper cast on his foot.

"What about my partner?" He asked quietly. "Does she need to go and get looked over as well?"

"No, her cut was sewn up. She's free to go. Unless she's riding with you to the hospital."

Ressler looked over at her, this time her eyes meeting his. She got up and walked over to him, her eyes avoiding his glare on the way over.

"I hear you have a pretty bad break on your foot." She looked down at the splint and smiled.

Ressler smirked. "Yeah, you know me… Always getting hurt so I can get a few weeks of desk duty."

Liz raised her eyes and looked back at him. Not knowing what else to say that would make this conversation any less awkward.

"Why didn't you tell me your cut was that bad? You had to get three stitches, Liz."

"I barely felt it", she said, looking down at the ground.

 _Because we were too busy dry humping like teenagers_ , she thought to herself but didn't say aloud.

"Listen, Ressler. I'm going to head back with the local PD. They're on their way to pick up Ms. Salvano and find out where her husband is and if she was the one who tipped him off to us."

Ressler pursed his lips and looked down. She was right. They had a job to do. And it couldn't wait for Ressler's foot to be bandaged.

"Ok." He said, nodding his head. "I'll head over there once I'm done at the hospital."

"I can handle it, Ressler. I'm sure you're in pain right now." She said, before turning on her heels to go.

"Foot pain is the least of what I'm feeling right now, Liz…." His words causing her to stop suddenly in her tracks.

She turned around slowly and looked at him. Her eyes pleading with him not to make her talk about… think about… what had just transpired in the car.

"I'm glad we made it out, Ressler… I'm glad we're ok."

He knew she was changing the subject. But he didn't let up.

"Are we ok?"

She sucked in her breath at his question. He was asking something she didn't know for sure if she could answer. But she knew she couldn't discuss it any further right then.

She smiled softly, breaking eye contact with him, and turned around again to head to the police station.

Ressler watched her go. Knowing the answer to his question even though she was unable to give it.

Liz was not ok.

 _They_ were not ok.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been six weeks since they were run off the road in Boise, Idaho.

 _Six weeks_ , Ressler thought to himself. _And she has barely looked me in the eyes since._

He was finally back to full duty after a miraculously healed left foot. And not a day too soon. Both Aram and Agent Navabi had commented numerous times that they would likely kill him if he didn't get back out in the field soon.

He wasn't made for the desk. That was obvious.

He walked into the Post Office on his first morning back at 6am and saw Liz sitting down at her desk in their office. It was rare that she beat him in… something must've been wrong.

"Hey", he said, walking in and putting his coat and briefcase down on his desk. "Not used to seeing you here this early… What gives?"

She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows in disdain. "Nothing gives, Ressler. I'm not always late", she said, her mouth turned into a frown. "Plus, I have to finish up the paperwork on this Salvano case before Cooper chews my head off."

They had finally wrapped up their investigation on the mobster that had led them into Boise in the first place. Liz had done an incredible job flying solo on this one while he spent hours each day in rehab and helping where he could behind his desk instead of out in the field.

"About that, Liz…", he said sheepishly. "I really do appreciate all the work you put in tying everything together on this one. I wish I could have helped more. I guess I know to not try and brace myself with my foot the next time our car flips over into a ditch."

He laughed and sat down, watching her eyes reflect back to Boise.

She stared at him and tilted her head.

"I think we all learned a few lessons from Boise that we'll heed for the next time."

He watched as she got up suddenly and started to walk out of their office.

"What does that mean?" He asked, making her stop and explain her last comment.

"Nothing… It means nothing, Ressler." She said as she stared at him, her face unable to hide her contempt.

"Liz… you think there was a lesson to learn there? Are you talking about with the case or about what happened with us?"

She cut him off before he could completely finish.

"Nothing happened between us, Ressler. And I'm not going to discuss it here so just…. just please stop. I have to go run to see Red on a potential new Blacklister. I'll catch up with you later."

Ressler watched as she scurried past the empty desks and headed to the elevator to leave the building.

He jumped up and followed her, unaware that more than a few eyes had seen and heard their argument and were watching it unfold from afar.

He saw her get on the elevator and he ran to slide in, just as the doors were about to close.

"Shit, Ressler", she said angrily. "What is it that you want from me?"

He stood a few feet away from her, his eyes burning holes into hers.

"I want you to look at me, Liz. I want you to acknowledge me…. Acknowledge what happened between us in Boise so we can talk about it."

"There is nothing to acknowledge!" She yelled, a little louder than she meant.

Liz was angry. Not necessarily at Ressler… but at things. Things between them. She wasn't ready to discuss it and she certainly wasn't going to talk about it at the job.

"What happened between us shouldn't need to be discussed because it was a mistake, Ressler. And you know it." She stopped and watched his face digest her words before she went on.

"We were cold and stranded and drunk and we did things that we shouldn't have because of the situation we were in."

Ressler took a step forward, closer to where she was standing.

"I wasn't drunk, Liz. I wasn't cold or delirious when I kissed you. And from what I could tell, you weren't either of those things when you kissed me back."

He watched as she pursed her lips and took a step closer to him.

"Ressler, we are partners. Friends. The feelings I have for you are platonic." She hesitated for a moment before going on. "They don't go beyond that."

Ressler closed the gap between them, standing right in front her.

"It didn't feel platonic when you were grinding your hips into me, Liz."

And that's when he felt it. The slap across his face, stinging him and momentarily shocking him until he looked back at her and realized she was the one who had done it.

He stared at her, her eyes burning holes into his at his last comment. A comment he knew he shouldn't have made.

"I'm sorry, Liz. That was inexcusable for me to say…."

He felt her lips cutting him off before he processed what was happening. She crushed him. Her mouth eating his alive as his hands wrapped around her and pulled her in tight against his body.

Her tongue crashed into his mouth and he pushed her back against the elevator wall, not caring that the doors were about to open for all their fellow agents to see just where their relationship stood. He was hard. Just that fast, he was hard against his partner again for the second time in 6 weeks. This time, at work... in an elevator. And he pressed himself against her so she could feel just how un-platonic his feelings for her were. She had to know.

And just as sudden as it started, it stopped. She pushed him away, panting as she looked at him. Shock on her face at what she had just done.

"I'm sorry, Ressler. I can't do this."

The elevator doors opened and she ran past a few agents, including Aram, who had just arrived at work and was staring at Agent Ressler for clues as to what the hell was going on.


	7. Chapter 7

He thought about chasing after her, but he didn't. He stood at the elevator doors watching as she disappeared around the corner, ignoring Aram's questions about why Agent Keen looked so upset.

"God dammit", he mumbled to himself as he walked over to the front of the inconspicuous building. That did not go like he had planned at all. If those elevator doors had opened… with him up against her on the wall. Jesus.

He contemplated giving her some space but decided against it. He needed to talk to her.

He took his phone from his pocket and dialed his partner's number, knowing full well she probably wouldn't pick up and would send him to voicemail. So it surprised the hell of out of him when he heard her soft voice answer a few seconds later.

"Ressler…", she said shakily.

 _Dammit._ He thought, as a sigh escaped his mouth. _She was crying._

"Liz, where are you?"

She hesitated. "In my car. In the parking lot."

Ressler was already running out of the building and down the stairs to the garage.

"I'm on my way, right now." He said as he entered the garage.

It didn't take him long to find her car. It was still earlier than a lot of the agents arrived. The parking lot wasn't very full.

He walked over to her passenger side door and opened it, climbing in beside her and closing the door. Ressler looked over at her but she kept her face forward. Staring blindly in front of her, with tear streaks down her face.

They sat there in silence for almost 15 minutes. Ressler didn't know what to say. So he stayed quiet... letting her think. Happy that she didn't seem to mind his presence while she did it.

He wanted to tell her the feelings he had started having for her over the course of the past year. But he wasn't sure how to explain it. Or if he even should.

"I'm sorry I hit you." She said, still looking forward.

"Liz…. you don't owe me any apology. I'm sorry I said what I said to you…"

"I do owe you an apology, Ressler. Please accept it."

He smiled and chuckled softly, which made her look over at him.

"Ok. I accept it."

She stared at him for a minute, looking into his eyes as another tear ran down her face. Then she looked away.

"I don't know how to process whatever this is…. between us." She paused for a moment. "I don't know if I'm ready to."

She looked over at him. "You are the one thing in my life that's stable, Ressler. I can't ruin it… I can't ruin us just because of some physical urges."

Ressler's eyes narrowed.

"Is that all you think it is, Liz? A physical urge?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, looking down in her lap.

"I don't know what it is, Ressler. All I know is that before Boise, we were fine. Before we got put in that near death situation, we didn't have this issue. And now…"

"Now, Liz, I can't stop thinking about you." He blurted out. "And it started well before Boise... at least for me it did."

He saw her face jerk as she stared at him.

"What this is between us… it's something I'm willing to explore. Something I want to explore."

She whispered his name, begging him to stop talking. But he continued.

"I care about you, Keen. Don't patronize me by saying it's just hormones. It goes way beyond that and you know it. And it scares the shit out of you."

She found herself getting upset.

"I don't know a damn thing, Ressler. Except that you're my partner and we can't be together."

She stopped, calming herself down. "You know the rules. We'd be split up. Is that what you want?"

"No, Liz. That's not what I want."

Her eyes got soft, looking at him quizzically for contradicting himself.

"But I'd be willing to take that risk… for you." He said softly.

She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. Ressler watched her internal struggle. He knew he was taking a huge risk in their partnership… in their friendship… by admitting how he felt. But he didn't care.

"Liz, I'm ready. I want to try. But it's not my call on whether this could be more, is it?"

She looked up at him, her eyes scared to admit the truth.

"It's yours."

He opened the door and got out of the car.

Leaving Liz to wonder what the hell she was supposed to do now.


	8. Chapter 8

Ressler sat at his desk at the end of the day, staring at the wall.

Liz hadn't come back inside after he left her in the car earlier that morning. Cooper had come in several times during the day, asking where she was and why she wasn't answering her phone. And he had done his best to cover for her and told him she was tying up some things with Reddington.

But truth be told… he had no idea where she was. He hadn't tried calling her all day and she hadn't called him either.

He looked over at the clock on the wall.

6:42pm

His eyes had been glued to the elevator doors all day. The same elevator where she had kissed him earlier. The same elevators where he had run his fingers through her hair as her body pressed against his.

 _Stop thinking about that_ , Ressler tried to tell himself.

But Liz hadn't come back. And he knew that by not returning, she was essentially giving him her answer. She wasn't ready.

Deep down, Ressler had known it. Liz was going through one of the most difficult times in her life. She was fragile. And maybe, just maybe, he should honor that. Respect that and be there for her as a friend.

But he wanted more. And it was something that he had to confess to her.

Just in case she felt the same way…

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the sight of Cooper walking steadily towards their office.

Shit. Ressler said as he sat up straight and looked the man in the eyes as he entered the room. This can't be good.

"Agent Ressler, I need to see you and Agent Keen in my office right away."

Ressler swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Sir, I haven't spoken to Keen since earlier. I have no idea where she is now."

"I just spoke with her. She's on her way in now." He said as he began to turn around to walk away.

"Five minutes, Agent Ressler. My office."

Ressler watched him walk away and put his head down, wondering what the meeting was about. He instantly remembered all the agents who had seen him and Keen on the elevator that morning. From their perspective, it probably looked as though they were fighting.

 _If they only knew…_

He continued to eye the elevator doors and after a few minutes, he saw her. She walked in and stopped in her tracks. Staring at him through the blinds in his office. She stood there for a few seconds and turned to walk up to Cooper's office.

Ressler rose to his feet and walked out of his office, following behind her up the stairs.

He got to Cooper's office and sat in the chair next to Liz. Both of their faces watching Cooper as he closed the door and shut the blinds.

Ressler turned to look at Liz, but she didn't look in his direction.

"Agents Keen, Ressler. You two are by far my top agents in this task force. Some of the top agents in this organization."

Ressler nodded in Cooper's direction. Paying respect for his boss's words… knowing that something bad was coming.

"I respect the hell out of you two. And I know that some of the situations you are faced with are things two lesser people probably would not be able to handle."

Cooper paused and looked over at Agent Keen.

"I know partners develop close bonds. And you two are no exception. Everyone on this task force can see how much you care for each other."

Cooper sighed, looking uncomfortable at where his words were leading.

Ressler stirred and opened his mouth to speak.

"Sir?" He questioned, as he saw Cooper take his computer and turn it around for both agents to see.

Ressler watched in horror as the hidden camera from the elevator had captured their earlier argument. His eyes zoomed in as he saw himself approach her closer and insult her. Her hand, seemingly in slow motion, as it raised and slapped him across his face. He turned his head to look away at what he knew came next.

He glanced over at Keen, whose face was in shock as she watched herself kissing her partner on her boss's computer. Watching as Ressler wrapped his arms around her, pushing her against the elevator wall. She closed her eyes and put her head down. Never looking over at Ressler.

Cooper sighed and turned the computer back around. He watched the two agents' faces avoid his gaze. Not knowing what his next words would be.

"I need to know if you both are still suitable to work together on this task force." He said quietly.

"What I just witnessed on this tape… I need to know if this will be an issue moving forward."

Ressler opened his mouth to speak. But he couldn't. He couldn't speak for Liz. And if it were up to him, he would admit to Cooper that his feelings for his partner had grown into something more than professional."

He looked over at her, her head still down, refusing to look Cooper in the eyes.

"Sir", Agent Ressler said, before Liz cut him off.

"It won't be a problem, sir. And I apologize for attacking Agent Ressler and putting us both in this situation."

"Liz, stop." Ressler said, as she continued on.

"We are committed to our partnership, sir. And the task force comes first. Always."

Ressler looked over at her. His heart crushed with every word that she uttered.

She had chosen.

And it wasn't him.

"Agent Ressler", Cooper turned to him, needing to hear from him as well if there was something he needed to know.

Ressler bit his lip and looked over at the Assistant Director.

"Yes, sir. I agree."

Cooper nodded and hesitated before speaking up again.

"You both are good people. Great agents. But I'm afraid I will be forced to separate you if it's discovered your relationship has gone from professional to a more personal one in nature."

Ressler nodded.

"Understood, sir". Liz said as she rose from her chair.

She left the office and Ressler began to follow her when Cooper stopped him.

"Agent Ressler, these rules are not mine. They are the Bureau's. I hope you and Keen understand that."

Ressler nodded and turned to walk out of the door.

"And I may be overstepping my boundaries by saying this… But I don't care what the two of you do in your personal time. As long as it doesn't affect the task force." He paused. "And as long as it's not caught on tape…"

Ressler looked Cooper in the eyes. Understanding what he meant by that statement.

But it wasn't up to Cooper. Hell, it wasn't up to Ressler. It was up to Liz. And she had already made her decision.

He walked down the stairs and saw Keen in their office, gathering up some files to take home with her.

He walked in and stood in the doorway.

"Liz…" he said softly.

"I have never been so humiliated in my life." She said, as she angrily swooped up papers and stuffed them in her briefcase.

"Liz…" he said again, as she stopped and stared at him.

"Ressler. Please. Just leave me the fuck alone." She said as she brushed past him, walking out of the office.

Ressler watching as she got onto the elevators and closed the doors.


	9. Chapter 9

The door closed to his apartment and he stood there… looking around, trying to figure out how his day turned to shit so quickly.

He went to the fridge and got a beer, chugging most of it before he even had the chance to take a breath. A beep from his phone broke him from his thoughts and he walked over to see who had pinged him.

Aram. Checking to see if everything was okay because of a rumor circulating that he and Liz had been called to Cooper's office that evening.

He sighed and ignored the text. Aram could wait. Plus, Ressler didn't know what to say in response.

 _Yeah, everything is fine, Aram. Just got caught on video surveillance making out with Agent Keen and told to cool it off or be conceivably thrown off the task force._

The thought of Aram's face reading that text made him chuckle. The first real laugh he'd had all day long.

If anyone would've told Ressler when he started working with Keen that he would be willing to jeopardize his career… his rank for her… he'd have laughed in their face.

But now… Now, everything was different.

And he wasn't going in with blinders. He knew that if he and Liz had to be separated, it would be him that left the task force. Not her.

She was too crucial. Too important.

Ressler would be the one to get transferred to another unit.

He walked over to the couch and sat down. His mind reeling on the choice he was willing to make to keep her in his life as more than just his partner. Wondering if it was the right one.

His thoughts were interrupted by a small knock on his door.

 _Fuck_ , he thought. _If this is Aram trying to get him to open up about what was going on, he was going to be pissed._

He looked through the peephole and froze.

It was Liz.

….

She stood there as Ressler opened the door, looking up at him for seconds before she said anything.

"Can I come in?" She asked as he nodded his head and opened the door further for her to enter.

He watched her walk slowly inside, looking around and focusing on the empty beer on his table.

"You ok?" She asked softly, still staring at it. "You only drink when you're upset or something is on your mind."

He looked over at her and scratched his head.

"Do you want one?" He said, ignoring her question and walking over to the fridge. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, as she shook her head no, and grabbed another beer.

"Why are you here, Keen?" He said as he went over to the couch and sat down, still watching as she stood near the doorway.

She sighed and looked down at her feet.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. In person. For earlier today."

Ressler watched her avoid his gaze and tilted his head.

"Which part?" He said as she looked at him quizzically. "Which part are you sorry for, Liz? Kissing me in the elevator and then pushing me away? Or telling Cooper that the job meant more to you than our feelings for each other… or whatever the hell this is."

She stared at him for a minute and lowered her eyes.

"All of it." She said as she raised them back to his.

"You could've done that over the phone…." He took a swallow of his beer. "Why are you here?"

She looked at him, surprise written all over her face. Liz didn't know what she was expecting… but it was not the cold demeanor she was getting. Tears started to form in her eyes and she turned around towards the door.

"I'm sorry, Ressler. I shouldn't have come."

He saw her begin to turn the door knob to leave and ran over to stop her.

"Liz, don't", he said as he put his hand on the door, stopping her from opening it to leave.

He stood behind her, watching her hand drop to her side and her face lower as she closed her eyes. Neither agent moving from where they stood.

"You were right… I'm scared." She said, almost in a whisper.

"You ground me, Ressler. In so many ways." She stopped talking and took a deep sigh.

"My life is a mess. And I'm afraid that if we change this.. us… that I'll lose you. And I can't lose you."

Ressler inhaled sharply and dropped his hand from the door. Taking a step back from her as she turned to face him.

"But these feelings for you… I can't stop them." Her voice cracked. "I don't know if I want to."

Her eyes were full of tears as she looked up into his.

"Liz…", he said softly, his face pained at how upset she was.

"I wake up thinking about you, Ressler. I go to bed at night wondering if you're thinking about me. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel this way before Boise…"

Liz watched as her words had riddled him frozen. He stood staring at her, unable to move. Unable to process what she was telling him. What she was finally admitting…

"I keep thinking about that night… how close we were to…"

She stopped, letting both of their imaginations run wild with the images from the car in Boise.

Ressler swallowed hard as he felt beads of sweat forming on his face.

"We were so fortunate to be rescued. To be found. But sometimes… sometimes Ressler all I think about is why the police couldn't have come ten minutes later."

"Liz…. please."

"Just a few minutes later so I could've known what it feels like to have you…."

Ressler turned from facing her and put his head in his hands.

"Liz. Stop. God dammit, just stop."

He was growing angry.

"You can't do this to me. You can't come here after ignoring me for almost 6 weeks. After pulling me in and pushing me away and say these things to me without consequence."

She took a step towards him as he turned around to face her again.

"No, Liz. You made your decision earlier, remember? In Cooper's office. You told him this thing between us was manageable. That it was a mistake, it wouldn't happen again. And now you come here… saying these things to me….."

His voice trailed off as he stared into her eyes. He could see the hunger there. The same hunger that was in his.

She parted her lips slightly, watching Ressler as he bit his lip. Tension filling his apartment as neither spoke.

Liz braced herself on the door as she saw him race towards her, finally ending the torment between them.

His lips swooped down on hers, angrily. A small whimper escaping out of her mouth at his force. He wanted her. God dammit, he wanted her so badly and she felt it. She welcomed it.

She ran her hands through his hair as she wrapped her right leg around his and pulled him even tighter against her.

Ressler moaned as her body pressed tightly against his and his tongue entered her mouth, consuming her and tasting every bit of her that he could. He felt her hands glide down his chest and start to pull his shirt out from where it was tucked in.

The feeling of her hands running over his bare skin stopped him in his tracks.

He pulled away slowly and captured her hands in his, pulling them out of his shirt and down to her sides.

"Liz… you know how much I want you."

She nodded and reclaimed his lips, kissing him passionately as he pulled away again.

"We can't do this, Liz…." he said as she looked at him, her eyes filled with rejection.

"Not until we're sure. We have to be sure, Liz…"

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, resting it on his door.

"You want this now but six weeks ago you didn't. Earlier today you didn't. We can't go back from this once it's done."

She opened her eyes to look back at him. She knew he was right. And she hated him for it.

"I need you to be sure, Keen." He said as she smirked.

"Back to the formalities, huh?" She said softly.

He looked into her eyes and bent down to kiss her softly, her lips melting into his.

He pulled his face an inch away from hers and whispered.

"It's all I can do to stop from lifting you up against this wall right now and taking you back to my bedroom."

He felt her shudder as he slowly stepped away from her and watched her bend her head down and lick her lips in frustration.

Ressler could feel himself losing control as he stood there, looking down at her swollen lips that were begging him for more.

"You should go, Liz." He said softly.

She nodded her head and turned around to open his door, pausing in doorway to look back at him.

"This isn't over yet, Agent Ressler." She said as he groaned and watched her close the door to his apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

He walked into the Post Office the next morning to find it buzzing with activity. Various eyes on him as he made his way off the elevators and walked towards his office.

He saw her sitting down at her desk, their eyes meeting through the blinds. He stopped for a second and turned to look at Aram pacing over to where he stood.

"Agent Ressler", he said hesitantly. "Did you get my text last night?"

He shook his head apologetically as he saw Agent Keen leave her desk, standing in the doorway looking over at him.

"Yeah, Aram, sorry about that. Everything is fine. Just had to go over an update with Cooper on a new case we're working on."

He watched as she leaned against the doorway, her eyes never leaving him. He felt his face start to turn red at the way she was looking… staring. He vaguely heard Aram still talking to him in the background.

"Ok, good. Because a few of the agents said things seemed tense and that Cooper shut the blinds which is never a good thing."

He shook his head in agreeance and licked his lips as he saw Keen smirk and turn back around to go sit down at her desk

Aram's eyes turned around to see what had captured Ressler's attention as he walked off and headed towards his office.

He walked in, putting his briefcase down and took his suit jacket off to hang over his chair.

He looked over at her, his face not giving in to the effect she was having on him.

"Morning, Keen."

She smiled and looked up at him briefly before looking back to her paperwork.

"Good Morning, Ressler."

He sat down at his desk, staring over at her as she went back to working on whatever it was she had been doing before he arrived.

Her lips were parted, biting on the pen she was holding in her hand, and his mind started racing back to thoughts he need not think at work.

He watched as she twirled the pen around in her mouth, biting and sucking on it in a way he'd never seen her do. She felt his gaze on her and looked over at him.

"Keen…. This isn't a game." He said, his voice shaky as she took the pen out of her mouth and held his gaze.

"I know." She said sternly. "I'm tired of playing one."

His breath got choppy as he watched her walk over to his desk and sit down.

"Liz…", he said as she put her hand next to his, touching it slightly.

"You told me to think it over, Ressler. To make sure it's what I really want."

She leaned in close to his face, whispering in his ear.

"You are what I want, Ressler."

He could feel his heart get louder in his chest as they stared at each other.

He looked over to see Cooper walking hastily to their office and cleared his throat, prompting Liz to get up and walk back around to her desk.

"Agents Keen and Ressler… good to see you this morning. I'm going to need you two in my office for this case review soon."

They both looked at each other and sighed.

Cooper turned and started to leave.

"And grab some coffee… It's going to be a long day."

…

He watched as Keen gathered up her things from her desk across him, their day finally done. She was stuffing papers in her briefcase, her head down and focused.

He glanced at the clock on the wall.

8:23pm

"You coming?" She asked lightly, as she stood in the doorway.

Ressler awakened out of his fog and quickly lifted his bag and suit jacket from the chair and nodded over to her.

He tried to tell himself that he wasn't nervous. He tried to tell himself that he knew what was going on in Keen's mind. But he didn't. He couldn't.

He followed behind her carefully, watching as she stepped on the elevator and pushed the button to go up.

She moved to the opposite end as him, a far cry from their encounter the previous day.

He saw her look down awkwardly, the memory still fresh in her mind as well, and followed her lead as she stepped off and walked down to the garage.

Liz felt him behind her as she walked over to her car. Ressler was strong, confident. But today, in this moment, he wasn't sure what to do. She could feel the uneasiness from him and turned around to speak once she unlocked her car.

"I didn't take your words lightly." She said as she watched him stop a few feet from her.

"I went home last night and thought about what this means. For me. For you."

She stopped and watched his face, as he nodded to her.

"I won't lie and say I'm not scared. That we might be making a mistake." She paused.

"But it's a mistake I'm willing to try. If you are, Ressler."

He looked deep in her eyes and stepped closer to her.

"I am, Liz." He said softly as he watched a slow smile spread across her face.

"I know it's been a long day but would you like to come over? I can stop and grab a bite to eat on the way." He said nervously, hoping his intentions weren't misconstrued.

She nodded and got in her car to follow him.


	11. Chapter 11

**_I got a little carried away with this chapter... Sorry in advance :-)_ **

_**And thank you to all the reviewers who took the time to comment on this story. Let me know if you'd like me to continue! I could seriously write these two characters until the wheels fall off...**_

* * *

It had taken a little longer than expected getting to Ressler's apartment.

The Chinese takeout they had ordered took so long to prepare that they ended up opening the boxes right in the restaurant and stuffing themselves. Both agents realizing in that moment they had skipped over lunch earlier in the day.

Liz didn't ignore the fact that Ressler never asked if she still wanted to come over to his apartment. After they left the restaurant, she continued to follow him back to his place.

She found herself smirking as she watched him park and walk over to help her with her car door. She never allowed herself to imagine what kind of partner Ressler would be outside of work. In this new terrain, she was taken back by his chivalry.

She walked in front of him as they walked up the stairs, felt the slight touch of his hand on her back, guiding her as if she could fall at any moment.

When they walked into his apartment, she stood by the door, still a bit unsure as to what they were doing. Where they were going from here.

She saw him stop and stare at her, his lips pursed, as if he knew what she was thinking.

He walked over to her and smiled.

"I can open a bottle of red, if you want. We can watch the rest of the game on tonight."

Liz nodded and smiled back.

"That sounds great." She said softly.

"Although I am a bit surprised that Donald Ressler has a bottle of red in his apartment. Whiskey and beer, yes. Red wine? Shocking."

He laughed and turned back around to the kitchen.

"Well… it just so happens that I have a bottle of that red wine you always mention that you like. I figured I would try it since you're always raving about it…. Just hadn't had the chance to open it yet."

Liz's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. He was full of surprises.

Ressler finished up opening the wine and watched as she turned the tv on and sat on the couch. He brought the wine glasses over and sat down a couple inches beside her.

He took a sip of the wine and looked over to her, his eyes giving way to how correct she was about how good it was.

"See, Ressler!" She said as she nudged him on the arm. "You should listen to me more often."

His face got serious as he watched her laugh.

"Not sure if I'd listened to you that you'd be here now, drinking wine, watching hockey with me, Keen."

She sighed and looked down at her wine. Knowing he was right and hating him for acknowledging it.

Ressler took a big swallow of the wine and placed it on the table, sitting back on the couch. He watched her, still looking at her wine, as she followed his lead and put it on the table next to his.

She sat back on the couch, moving an inch closer to him and watched the game. Her hands resting by her side.

Liz knew what she wanted. She knew what Ressler wanted. And she knew that tonight, if anything was to happen, he would leave it up to her to make the first move.

She scooted herself even closer to him and laid her head gently on his shoulder. He lifted his left arm around her and pulled her in tighter, as her right hand rested on his thigh. He could feel her making circles with her thumb, sending chills through his body from her touch.

Ressler moved his right hand over hers, their fingers lacing together as they sat intertwined on the couch. When she raised her eyes to meet his, he saw the desire and also the fear. And Ressler knew his eyes showed the same. He hadn't been with anyone since Audrey. And Liz… since Tom.

They were wading into unknown territory. Boise had been a life and death situation. In the elevator, their kisses had expiration dates, abruptly stopped because of prying eyes from agents on the other side of the doors.

But now… now, there was no one stopping them. No situation where they needed to be close together to survive.

They were choosing this. Choosing each other.

Liz looked down at his lips and leaned in to kiss him. Softly, her lips covered his, their hands still entangled. The kiss was slow. And Ressler realized in that moment just how rushed their previous interactions had been. He was savoring her. Tasting every bit of her that he could. He felt her tongue slowly enter his mouth as he greeted hers with his own.

They continued for what seemed like an eternity. Neither one wanting to pull away from the other. Neither wanting to be the first one to break the bond their lips had made.

Ressler felt Liz move away slightly and pull her head a few inches back, glaring at him with lips wet with his saliva.

"I want to make love to you, Ressler." She said softly as she watched the heat rise to his face at her declaration.

She watched his breathing get shallow as he didn't respond back. Allowing his mouth to say everything his lips wanted to as he took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, hungrily. The sweet, soft kisses from just minutes ago now replaced with a passion that could only be from months of built up desire.

Liz lifted her left leg and straddled him on the couch, not breaking their kiss. She heard him moan as her hips settled onto his waist and she pushed his head back, kissing him almost angrily. She moved her hands to his waist and began to lift his shirt up over his head. Staring at his bare chest as he looked back at her. She ran her hands along his pecs and sighed.

 _God, he was beautiful._ She thought as she felt him move his hands to lift her shirt.

She obliged and raised her arms, discarding her shirt revealing her black lace bra. She heard him groan in approval as his hands slowly slid the straps down over her shoulders and unhooked the back.

She watched her bra fall into his lap in front of her. And even though she lay half naked in front of her partner, she felt no anxiety. No unease.

His eyes traveled from her face down over her bare breasts and she watched as she saw his lips tremble, taking in the sight of her. His hands softly cupped her breasts as his mouth slowly made its way to her right nipple, while his hand played with the other.

She moaned, throwing her head back in pleasure as he sucked and jetted his tongue over and around, filling her core with a wetness only meant for him. Her hands moved into his hair as he switched breasts and she softly moaned his name.

"Don..", she said as he sucked harder on her nipple.

She felt him pull his mouth away, sucking in his breath.

"Jesus, Liz…" he said as she looked down at his face staring back at her. "When you say my name like that…."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, her breasts pressing against his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her as she grinded her hips into his, feeling his erection through his pants.

She broke the kiss and slowly raised herself off of him, watching his face question what she was doing.

She reached her hand out and pulled him up in front of her as she undid the belt buckle from his waist and pulled his pants down beneath him.

She smirked as she stroked his erection through his boxers, hearing the heavy sighs coming from his mouth at the friction from her hands.

When she slid the boxers off of him, she heard him gasp. And the next thing he knew, she was on her knees, taking him slowly into her mouth.

"Liz….", he moaned as he felt her pushing him back against the wall, her mouth never leaving his hard length.

He braced himself against the hard surface, closing his eyes as he felt her tongue swirling around his tip. He groaned as her head bobbed up and down, licking and sucking every inch of him she could.

Ressler could barely take it anymore and bent down to lift her back up to him and kissed her feverishly. She smiled into his kiss, knowing the effect she had on him. As she wrapped her arms around him, she felt him lift her up and begin to carry her to his bedroom.

They kissed all the way there, their lips not breaking once as he stood her up beside the bed. He got on his knees and pulled her pants down slowly with both of his hands. His eyes zeroing in on her black lace panties right in front of him.

He looked up at her, watching as she stared down at him, wondering what his next move was.

Ressler took his mouth and pressed it against her core, licking and sucking through her wet panties. She tasted just he thought she would and he felt her hands caress his hair in approval.

She was so wet. And Ressler could hardly contain himself knowing it was for him. He wanted to taste every crevice and slowly pulled her underwear down so she was naked in front of him.

He stood up and guided her against the wall. He slowly kissed his way down from her neck, over her breasts to her stomach. Kneeling once he got to her core. He took his tongue and licked her gently, feeling the shiver that had run through her at the contact. He lifted her left leg over his shoulder to gain better access and began feeding on her. Her moans letting him know that she was reveling in his adoration of her body.

He sucked and licked her clit as he felt her body start to shiver. She took her leg down and hastily tried to pull him up to where she was standing.

He kissed her as she mumbled beneath him,

"I want you inside of me." She said as she felt him lift her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist and stared face to face with him as he lowered her body onto him, filling her insides with his length as she moaned.

He felt amazing. And Liz leaned in to kiss him as she tightened herself around him.

He carried her over to the bed, never breaking their bond as he lowered her down with himself still inside of her.

He began to slowly plunge himself deeper and deeper into her as they stared down at one another, reveling in their new found intimacy. He saw her bite her lip as he thrusted harder into her and she lifted her head up to kiss him passionately.

"Don…", she moaned as he got deeper and deeper inside of her.

He groaned. "Say it again, Liz….", he said as he looked into her eyes fucking her so hard his bed was crashing against the wall.

"Don…", she moaned even louder and it was all Ressler could do to stop himself from going over the edge.

He felt her legs shake under him and watched as she closed her eyes in pleasure. It pushed him over the edge and he emptied himself into her, moaning her name against her lips as her arms wrapped around him.

Ressler had never experienced love making like this. His body, worn and battered, slowly lowered on top of hers as he watched her open her eyes and look back up at him.

Their breaths panting, they stared into one another for what seemed like minutes, watching as they both processed the intensity of what had just happened between them.

Ressler was close. So close to telling her exactly how he felt in this very moment. So close to telling her just what she meant to him and how he could barely handle the flood of emotions running though his veins.

He opened his mouth to speak and watched as Liz put her fingers up to his lips, stopping him from speaking.

Instead she reached up to kiss him. Softly. Gently. Pulling back as his eyes searched hers for answers.

She smiled gently as she whispered.

"Me too."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks again for the awesome reviews!**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy these next two chapters and I plan on continuing with more!**_

* * *

His eyes opened gently, taking in his surroundings as he awakened from sleep. Slowly, the events of the previous evening flooded his memory and he breathed in deep as he looked down at Liz's naked body lying on top of his.

 _She was beautiful._

He allowed a slow smile to spread across his face as he kissed the top of her head and felt her move slightly. Her eyes opened slowly and he watched her lay there, taking in everything just as he had done a few minutes prior.

She finally turned her head and looked up at him, her eyes soft, even in the darkness.

"Hi." She said as she smiled slowly.

"Hi." Ressler said back, as she slowly moved her naked body off of him and laid her head down on the pillow beside his. He immediately missed her warmth.

"What time is it?" She asked softly, as he reached over to look at his clock by his bedside.

"3am." He said as he turned his body around to face her.

They sat in silence, staring at each other in the darkness as they laid under the covers of his bed.

She reached over and touched his hair, playing in it as she smiled.

"I've never seen you like this. Your hair is always so perfect."

He smirked. "I'm glad I amuse you."

She moved her fingers down from his hair and softly caressed his face. Her hand lingering over his cheeks and her thumb brushing over his lips.

"That's not all you do to me."

He sighed and parted his lips, letting her thumb enter his mouth as he softly sucked on it.

"Tell me…", he said as she slowly inched closer to him.

She looked down at his lips and up into his eyes again.

"You challenge me…"

He bit her thumb hard as she inhaled sharply and continued.

"You make me feel safe… Protected." She paused before speaking again.

"You make me want to do things that would make my Catholic school teachers blush." She said softly.

Ressler watched as she climbed on top of him, her face right on top of his as she looked down at him. He felt her hands reach down to grab him, guiding him inside of her slowly.

She moaned and shut her eyes, savoring the feeling of him filling her yet again. She opened her eyes and bent down to kiss him as she slowly started moving her hips up and down against him.

Ressler reached down and ran his hands over her ass as he felt her breasts brushing up and down against his chest.

She lifted herself up straight on top of him, smiling.

She began to rock back and forth, her breasts bouncing in the darkness.

"Keen…..", he moaned as his hands reached up and ran all over her body as she rode him.

She fastened up her pace and he grabbed her hips for support as his body started to shiver.

"Oh God, Ressler…" she said as she bucked against him, riding her orgasm on top of him as he let himself go right after hers.

Ressler watched as she came down from the high and looked down at him. Her eyes full of amazement at this new part of their relationship. She began to raise her legs off of him to get up but he stopped her. Instead, pulling her down to him and kissing her deeply.

"I could stay inside of you all night." He said as she smiled against his kiss.

"I wouldn't complain." She said as she laid her head down next to his, closing her eyes as she felt his arms wrap around her body.

They stayed joined together, their breaths rising and falling in sync as the minutes ticked off the clock.

When her eyes opened again, the morning sun was peeking through his bedroom window and she raised her head up to try and look over at his clock.

 _6:05am_

She looked back down at his sleeping face and kissed him gently.

"Ressler…", she said softly as his eyes opened.

"Mmmmm…", he moaned, enjoying the feeling of waking up to her on top of him.

"I need to go home and shower before I'm late for work." She said as she lifted herself off of him and slowly got up out of the bed.

Ressler put his hands behind his head as he watched her walk her naked body to his living room to retrieve the rest of her clothes from the night before.

He sat up in the bed and got up, walking to his dresser to put on a pair of his boxers.

She came back in with her bra and shirt on, looking over at her crumpled pants and underwear lying beside the bed.

"Do you want some of my shorts to wear?" He said as she looked over at him, reading her mind.

She smiled and walked over to him as he handed her a pair of his old Quantico shorts from years ago.

She leaned down to put them on and stared back at him bashfully.

"Thanks", she said as he nodded, following her to the living room as she got the remainder of her things.

She turned around when she reached his front door, her eyes staring into his for the right words to say after all that had changed between them since last night. She opened her mouth and closed it again.

Ressler smiled and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I'll see you in a few."

She nodded and smiled, leaving Ressler to his thoughts as the door closed behind her.

He closed his eyes and bent his head… the realization of all that had changed between them hitting him like a ton of bricks.


	13. Chapter 13

Liz walked in to the Post Office later that morning to find Red sitting down at her desk.

"Lizzie, dear. Just the person I was waiting on." He said as he got up to give her the seat back.

"I was just telling Donald that I tried you at that horrible motel you call a residence last night and my knocks went unanswered." He glanced over at Ressler and smirked.

"I was worried something may have been wrong."

She briefly glanced over at Ressler who raised his eyebrow at her and got up to leave the office.

"I'm a big girl, Red. You don't need to hunt me down if I'm not home when you expect me there."

"Hmph…", he said as he cocked his head to the side and looked more intensely at her.

"Well then… I guess that's true. But it leads me to wonder where you were then at 11pm when for all intents and purposes you should have been catching up on your rest after that long day at work yesterday."

She slammed her briefcase down on her desk and looked over at him, biting her lip. She was about spout off a list of obscenities when Ressler walked back in the office and saw the tension between the two.

"Well, as long as you were safe..." Red said as he picked up his coat from her chair and turned to leave. "It seems whatever you did last night was fun, Lizzie. You look the most relaxed and fresh-faced I've seen you in awhile."

He stopped and turned around, looking over at her and Ressler, as he smiled and continued walking out of the door.

Ressler felt his face cringe and his eyebrows furrow as he looked over at Liz.

"How the hell does he know?" He said as he watched her slink down in her chair and put her head in her hands.

"Because he's the bane of my existence… that's how."

Ressler sat down in his chair and looked over her, unsure as to how to broach the subject that had just crossed his mind.

"Speaking of safe, Liz…" he said as he watched her lift her head up and look over at him. "We weren't last night."

Liz understood the meaning behind his words and inhaled sharply, as the realization of his words hit her. She had been on birth control with Tom, not wanting to get pregnant but rather adopt, like Sam had done with her.

But now that she thought about it, she hadn't taken her pills in almost a month. Forgetting to renew her prescription because of all the other turmoil in her life.

"Ressler, I…" she said as she was cut off by Aram arriving in their office.

"Hey Liz. Agent Ressler." He said as he saw Agent Ressler's face staring in shock at Liz as she turned her head up to greet him.

"Hey Aram… what's up?" She said softly.

"Today is Samar's birthday… " he said as Liz cleared her throat and he saw Ressler finally lift his gaze from her face to look over at him.

"A few of us were going to head to get drinks at Darby's after work… I was hoping you guys would join."

Liz looked over at Ressler, who still looked as though he was in shock, and looked up again at Aram.

"Wouldn't miss it, Aram." She said, smiling over at him.

"Awesome!" He said as he looked over at Ressler. "You too, Agent Ressler?"

Ressler looked up at Aram and nodded.

"Perfect! I'll see you guys later. 6:30ish." He said as he walked out of their office.

Ressler turned his attention to his partner again and opened his mouth to speak before she stopped him.

"I ran out of my pills last month… and until now, I hadn't even remembered that I never got a refill."

He put his head in his hands, rubbing his face as her words sank in.

"Liz…", his face in shock as he looked over at her. "Do you know what that could mean?"

She sighed and looked down at her hands.

"Yes, Ressler. Of course I know what that could mean." She said heatedly, looking up at him.

He sighed. "I didn't mean…"

"I know what you meant, Ressler." She said cutting him off. "It's fine. I'll figure it out."

"Liz… wait" he said as he watched her get up and walk past him out of their office.

…

They hadn't seen each other much for the rest of the day. Liz had left the office during the morning for a follow-up interview with a victim on a new case and Ressler had met up with some of his old FBI cronies to gain some intel.

When he finally got done, he looked down at his watch and noticed the time was almost 6:45pm.

If he didn't head over to Darby's soon, he probably wouldn't make dinner.

He had thought about sending Aram a text and cancelling. But he knew he needed to talk to Liz… especially with how things had ended in their conversation earlier that day.

They had been careless. Reckless, even. So caught up in the emotions at the time that neither of them even considered what could happen as a result. He took a deep sigh and decided to hail a cab over to the restaurant so he wouldn't have to worry about parking.

Twenty minutes later, he walked into the restaurant and immediately saw them sitting at the bar. Liz was laughing with Aram while Agent Navabi was doing a shot alongside a few other agents.

He smiled and walked over to them.

"Agent Ressler!", Aram yelled and pulled him into a bear hug. "So glad you could make it!"

Ressler smiled and turned to Samar, who was the most relaxed and carefree he had ever seen her.

"Happy Birthday Samar", he said as she hugged him and patted him on his back.

"Thanks, Ressler. I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you here."

He smirked and stole a glance over at Liz, who was doing her best not to look over at him.

"Yeah, well. After the past few days, I could use a drink."

He walked over to stand next to Liz, who had stopped talking with Aram and was staring into her water.

He ordered a double whiskey and looked down at her.

"You're not drinking?" He said quietly.

"No." She said softly. "I didn't want to take any chances..."

Ressler closed his eyes.

"Liz…"

"Ressler, I don't want to discuss this here." She said as she saw Samar looking over at them from a couple feet down the bar.

Ressler bit his lip and leaned in close to her.

"Then when, Liz? Because you seem to be pissed at me for something and I'm not sure what it is."

"You don't know what it is? Ressler you damn near had a heart attack at the thought of me being..."

Her voice trailed off at the end and she couldn't speak the actual word.

 _Pregnant._

"Of course I was in shock, Liz. Weren't you?"

"Yes. Ressler, I was… I am. But you looked over at me like it was something you couldn't fathom. Something you couldn't believe could be possibly true. Didn't want to believe…"

Ressler's face turned red in anger as he listened to her spout off. He picked up his drink and chugged it, leaving a $20 bill on the bar in front of him.

"You want to know how I feel, Liz?" He turned to look over at her. "Ask me. Don't presume."

He turned to bid his goodbyes to Samar and apologize for having to leave so soon.

Liz watched him walk out of the bar and felt the stares from Aram and Samar… wondering what the hell was really going on between their two partners on the task force.


	14. Chapter 14

Ressler wished things had gone differently. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and ran his hands over them in an attempt to help alleviate the pain, closing his eyes in the process.

He sat in his office across from an empty desk. The same view he had for 10 days since he had walked out on Samar's birthday dinner.

Liz had tried to call him that night… leaving a message on his phone that she was sorry. That she was scared and hadn't meant to assume how he felt. She had given him the opportunity to tell her. To let her in on his exact sentiments since finding out she wasn't on birth control… that she could be carrying his child.

But he didn't call her back that night. Instead, opting to go home and drink his troubles away on his couch. The same couch where they had kissed the night before. The same couch where they had changed their relationship from partners to lovers.

Ressler opened his eyes and sighed deeply.

 _He had fucked up._

And by the time he had realized it, she was gone. Cashing in on the two weeks of vacation she had stored from earlier in the year but never used. And when he had tried to call her… to talk to her and let her know she wasn't alone, she had sent him to voicemail. Repeatedly.

So here he was, not knowing where she was or who she was with. Not knowing if she was okay. If _they_ were okay.

He silently wondered if she had taken the test yet. He thought about what she must be feeling going through this waiting process alone. Ressler was a smart man but he had no clue how long it took to know for sure.

With Audrey… he hadn't even had a clue she could've been pregnant.

And now with Liz…. he knew and wasn't there for her. It killed him.

He opened his eyes back up to see Samar standing by his office door. She was staring at him, looking beyond his standard "Hello" and "I'm fine" to try to understand what was going with him.

She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. Instead, opting to walk in and close the door behind her.

He watched her lean against the wall next to Liz's desk and frown.

"Ressler, I know we are not close. I know you had a hard time trusting me on this task force in the beginning and I know we do not speak much outside of these walls."

She paused.

"But I care about you. And I care about Keen. And while others may not see that anything is wrong between the two of you… I do. And I would not consider myself a good member of this team if I didn't confront you with it and ask what is going on."

Ressler averted his eyes from her and looked down at his hands. Samar was always sharp. Almost to a fault.

"Everything is fine, Agent Navabi."

She cut her eyes and laughed.

"Ressler, cut me the bullshit. I didn't get where I am not being able to tell a lie from the truth."

She walked over to where Ressler sat and stood close.

"Keen has not taken a vacation day since I started here. And I don't doubt it's any coincidence that she did so the day after she left my birthday dinner in tears a few minutes after you ran out."

Ressler's eyes flew to hers and whispered.

"She was crying?"

Samar sighed and nodded her head at him.

She watched as his face processed the info, feeling like an intruder to the sudden emotions it had brought upon him. She turned around and walked over to the door, placing her hand on the knob and pausing before she opened it.

"Whatever is going on between the two of you, Agent Ressler, you need to work it out. There is too much at stake not to. In your own lives and for the sake of this task force that I have grown to care deeply about."

…..

Two hours since his talk with Agent Navabi, Ressler was still hunkered down in his office, staring off into Liz's empty space. He kept being interrupted by knocks at the door from various agents who needed to speak with him. But all Ressler wanted to do was keep the blinds closed, the door shut, and think.

He just needed to think.

His thoughts were once again interrupted by the sound of the door opening and he turned around slowly in his chair.

"God dammit… I said I just needed a few minutes", he said angrily as he looked over to the door in shock at his partner walking through the frame.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at him.

"Liz...", he said, realizing his mistake and pursing his lips. "I thought you were someone else."

She looked around the office at his empty desk and the closed blinds and looked back at him.

"Ressler… what's going on?" She asked as she closed the door back behind her and put her coat down.

"Just needed some time to think… Alone."

He got up from his chair and walked over to her.

"I've been worried about you. You just left and didn't say anything. You didn't pick up my calls…"

"I know, Ressler." She said as her head dropped and she looked down at her feet. "And I'm sorry. For it all."

He shook his head and tilted her face up, making her look into his eyes.

"We'll get through this Liz", he said softly as his thumb caressed her cheek. "Whatever happens."

"I took a test this morning, Ressler." She said quietly. A tear slowly escaping her eye and falling onto his hand. "I'm not pregnant."

Ressler's hand dropped from her face as he stood in front her stunned. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. He wasn't sure why the words she had just uttered affected him quite like it did. But he found himself stepping back from her. His eyes searching hers for more words. More explanation.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Both agents turned, Liz wiping her face of the tear she had cried and listening as Aram walked in to alert both agents that they were needed in the war room.

Ressler watched him leave, the door still open, and turned his attention back to Liz.

She had turned to gather a few things and had her back facing him.

"Liz…", he said as she stopped and stood tall when she heard him say her name.

"I'm fine, Ressler." She said, turning around to face him. "Let's talk later, okay?"

He sighed deeply and nodded. Watching as she left the room as swiftly as she had entered it. Not understanding how much he was affected by the news she had just delivered.


	15. Chapter 15

She sat on her motel room bed. Her eyes staring at the ceiling, her mind full of thoughts of earlier in the day when she had told Ressler she wasn't pregnant.

 _His face_ , she thought. _He was devastated._

She didn't allow herself to think of why. She didn't allow her to think that he actually wanted different results. Thoughts like that were dangerous. And Liz had been through too much to believe in happy endings. Not in her life.

She put her hands on her stomach and closed her eyes. Breathing in deeply and releasing. The past week had been a tornado of emotions. She had driven to her old house she grew up in with Sam and stayed there for the past week. He had left it to her when he passed away. And as much as she knew she didn't have the time to take care of it, she couldn't bear to sell it.

She had done a bit of cleaning and tidying up. At night, she had stayed in her old room. Remembering all the good memories she had of him and her there. Wondering to herself that if she was in fact pregnant, would her child look back on their growing years and think the same of her.

Liz hadn't been ready to be a mother with Tom. She had turned away at the last minute at the idea. Telling him she needed more time.

But with Ressler… with Ressler, she didn't think she would've run. Her mind had told her she could do it.

 _They_ could do it.

A faint knock at her door lifted her from those dangerous thoughts. She thought it could be Red. Who had seemed hell bent the past couple weeks to figure out what was wrong with her and why she was staying at Sam's old house. She had pushed him off as much as she could. But Red was observant. He knew it had something to do with Ressler. And he knew, if he were smart, he would stay out of it until she was ready to talk.

She went to the door and looked thru the peephole. Closing her eyes as she rested her head against the door.

Ressler.

She opened the door slowly and watched as he stood in the rain, his clothes soaking wet.

"I'm not okay, Liz." He said as she stared at him in shock. "You never asked me how I felt about all of this… but I'm telling you. I'm not okay."

Liz's face grimaced as she watched her strong, confident partner standing in her doorway, baring his emotions.

"From the moment you told me it was a possibility… I wanted it to be true. I wanted you to be pregnant." His voice drifting off. "Carrying my child… our child."

Liz watched as Ressler's face turned up in pain and tears start to fall down.

"And now I'm here not only mourning the loss of what could've been… but also the loss of you."

He looked deep into her eyes.

"I don't want to lose this, Liz. I don't want this to be over before it even fucking started."

Liz sighed heavily and closed the gap between them. Wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck.

"I'm so sorry I shut you out, Ressler. I'm so sorry I made us go through this alone."

Ressler felt her start crying in his arms and pulled her in tighter.

They stayed in the embrace for minutes… rain falling on them both as they held on to each, not wanting to let go.

When they finally separated, Ressler looked down at her face. Her eyes red from the tears fallen while holding him.

She held onto his hand and walked him inside her motel room. His eyes looking around at the cold and sterile furniture. He looked back over at Liz and sighed.

"Come stay with me." He said as she sat on the bed and put her head in her hands. "I know we're just figuring this thing out between us… But you can't live like this. You deserve better even if you haven't allowed yourself to believe it yet."

Liz looked up at him and closed her eyes. He was right. Even if she couldn't admit it. She had allowed all the pain from her life to infiltrate her soul. Her well-being. She had allowed herself to believe, even if slightly, that she wasn't worthy of the good in life. She had bottled up her emotions, her feelings and discarded them for detachment.

"Ressler…. I…."

"Just say yes, Liz. There's a spare bedroom that is empty. You can have it until you find a new apartment. But this, Liz. I won't leave you here tonight. I can't…"

She stood in silence watching his eyes pleading with her. She slowly nodded her head.

Ressler had saved her so many times on the job. So many times in her personal life. And now, here he was again saving her from herself.

He looked around for a few suitcases and watched as she packed up the few things she had kept from her place with Tom and stowed them away in both of their cars.

….

When her things were finally packed and loaded to his apartment, it was late. Almost 11pm.

She watched Ressler bring everything up and put them in the spare bedroom where she would be taking up residence.

She had to chuckle at herself for not even realizing that he had another bedroom. The last time she had been over at his place, they had been busy with other things.

She walked into the bedroom and watched him standing there, hoping she would approve.

"Thank you." She said softly as he smiled and walked over to the door to give her some privacy.

"I'll be right next door if you need anything." He said as he shut the door, leaving Liz alone.

She looked around the room and sat down on the bed, taking everything in. Over a week ago, she and Ressler had been nothing but partners. Still choosing to ignore what lay beneath the surface of their partnership and friendship. And now… well now things between them were changed.

She would've been lying if she said was totally comfortable in Ressler's place. She had thought about telling him she was going back to the motel she had called a home for the last two months.

But she knew he wouldn't allow it. And Red was probably somewhere smiling knowing she had moved out and into Ressler's apartment. She was sure the apartment he had bought her was still available for her to live in… and she didn't doubt he would remind her of that fact the next opportunity he got.

But she hadn't been living in the motel because she couldn't afford something else. She was living there because she wasn't sure what direction her life was going in. And she didn't want to get a place until she found that out.

She decided to change into an oversized t-shirt and get some rest for the night. She laid down on the pillow and snuggled herself in the sheets, expecting sleep to overtake her soon thereafter. But it didn't. Thirty minutes later, she was still wide awake… her mind aware to the fact that the arms she craved and wished were holding her, were separated only by a wall.

She got up slowly and walked to his room only to see that the door was closed. But the closer she got, she realized he hadn't closed it all the way. He had left it open… for her. He knew she would come.

She opened it slowly and shut it behind her, walking slowly over to his bed. He was awake but he didn't say a word. Only getting up slowly and folding back the sheets, inviting her in his bed.

She got in and laid her head down on his pillow as he pulled the covers over her. She turned her body away from him and felt him scoot up close behind her, taking her in his arms and wrapping her tight against him.

Liz closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel. Allowing herself to truly understand what it was she had in him. A tear dropped from her eye as she spoke softly.

"She was so real…." She said as another tear dropped.

"The minute I realized that I could be pregnant… I could see her face, Ressler. And she was so real."

Ressler sighed and pulled her even closer against him.

"I never knew how much I wanted her until I took the test and realized I wasn't pregnant. That I had been imagining it all…"

She stopped, letting the tears fall down her face and onto the pillow. She felt Ressler's right hand move under her t-shirt and lay flat on her stomach. Caressing it with his thumb.

"I wanted her to be real too, Liz." He said softly against her ear. "I still do."

Liz closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in the moment.

She felt protected. Safe.

They laid in silence for minutes, just their breaths breaking the quiet of the night.

He felt her relax in his arms as her breathing got deeper, realizing she had fallen asleep in his arms.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Elizabeth Keen." He said in a whisper, softly kissing her hair as he closed his eyes to join her in sleep.

Not realizing she had heard every word he had just spoken.

* * *

 _ **Ahhhh! I'm having so much fun writing this! I have a few more chapters to go and I hope to get them loaded pretty soon. Thanks again for reading!** _


	16. Chapter 16

_**I'm so excited to post these new chapters! I've been in kind of a writing lull so I apologize for the long delay to get this updated. But I've been thoroughly enjoying this season so far and it pulled me out of my writer's block. I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think.**_

* * *

She had woken up the next morning to find herself alone in his bed. She quickly wondered where he could've run off to but then smelled it. Bacon.

He was cooking breakfast.

She got up out of bed and went to what was now her bedroom to throw on some clothes. When she arrived out to the kitchen, she found him already showered, dressed and making two plates full of bacon, eggs and orange juice.

She stared at him, laughing softly as she watched him look over to her with a proud look on his face.

"Ressler… I had no idea you were so domestic."

He smiled and motioned for her to sit down on the couch while he carried the plates over.

"Interestingly enough, Keen, I enjoy making breakfast. It's the only thing I'm really good at cooking."

She smirked and looked down at the plate that was now in her hands, bringing a spoonful up to her mouth.

She chewed slowly. It was actually pretty good. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw him looking for her reaction to his meal and smiled.

"You're officially on breakfast duty from now on." She said slyly as she dug into her plate for more.

He turned back towards the kitchen and laughed which made Liz look up at him suddenly. Moments between the two agents were rarely as light hearted. She could probably count the number of times on one finger that she had heard him laugh as hard as he was now.

She watched as he turned back towards her and walked over to where she was sitting.

"After you're done eating, I was thinking we could take a drive." He said softly.

The hesitant, almost nervous, nature of his speech caused her to raise an eyebrow and put down her fork. She watched as he waited for her response and thought about asking him where it was he wanted to go.

But something told her not to.

"Give me about 20 minutes and I'll be dressed and ready." She said as he smiled slightly and nodded.

They were still working out so many aspects of their new relationship and there were certain moments that frightened Liz to no end. But she trusted her partner even though there was so much about him she had yet to discover.

She hurriedly finished up her breakfast and got ready to take a drive.

….

Ressler saw her fidgeting more and more as time passed on. They had been in the car for over an hour. The drive now taking them off the main roads and into the countryside filled with acres and acres of fields and abandoned civilization.

"We're almost there, Liz.", he said as he looked over at her face full of unasked questions. He had hoped she wouldn't interrogate him on where they were going… And she didn't. The unspoken lines of communication that had always been there between them had given her all the insight she needed to say yes. And for that, Ressler was appreciative. He wasn't sure she would've come if she'd have known where they were going.

He saw the familiar dirt road approaching with a For Sale sign placed right next to it and put on his blinker, causing Liz's interest to peak. She looked around, not seeing where exactly this turn was taking them and sharply inhaled as they approached the large white house coming into view through the trees.

She looked over at him, her mouth opening slightly, unsure of what to say next. She had seen this house before. In a picture on Ressler's entrance there was a man and woman standing in front of it with two boys. One of which she had assumed to be him as a youth.

When he finally pulled up to the front, he put the car in park and looked over at her, his eyes soft and reflective.

"I'm a little early… the realtor won't be here until 10am to go over the final paperwork." His voice trailed off at the end and she watched his eyes lower for a moment before they came back up to her face. "Would you like to come inside until she gets here?"

Her eyes squinted as she looked at him. He was giving her a choice. Not forcing anything on her that she wasn't ready for. Yes, their relationship had become intimate recently. But they still had so much about each other to learn. And Ressler still was giving Liz the option of whether she was ready for more.

She smiled softly and nodded to him as he got out of the car and came around to open her door.

She followed him up the front stairs onto the porch and turned around to take it all in. The property was beautiful. Acres upon acres of land with big large oak trees and fertile soil. She looked over at the markings on the porch and imagined Ressler as a child playing cops and robbers with friends.

She smiled and turned around to realize he had been watching her from inside the house as she daydreamed. His eyes drilled holes into hers and they stood staring at each for what seemed like seconds before either made a move.

He finally motioned for her to come in and she stepped into the foyer of one of the most gorgeous homes she had ever seen.

Her breath caught in her throat and Ressler looked over at her.

"Ressler…" She said as she walked over to the wooden staircase with details rarely found in modern day homes. Her fingers brushed over the wood and she looked around to the sitting room with early century styled furniture and beautiful window drapings.

"This house has been in my family for almost 150 years." He said, looking around. "I grew up here with my Mom, Dad and brother…. It holds a lot of memories."

He stopped abruptly which made Liz look over at him. This was the first time Ressler had ever opened up about his upbringing. About his personal life. She had been his partner for almost 3 years and there was still so much she didn't know about him. She hesitated to ask more… knowing that he might not share if she didn't. But she wanted to know.

"Where are they now?" She asked softly, causing him to look over at her.

He sighed deeply and walked closer to where she stood.

"My Mom died when I was young. Only 10 years old. So it was just my dad and brother. And my Dad… he didn't take it well. Closed himself off to us. Started drinking heavily and….."

He stopped mid-sentence and looked over to the door.

"He left us right after my brother turned 18. Came home one day and he was gone." Ressler walked over to the stairs and sat down. "We didn't have a lot growing up. I know it seems like that from this house but we grew up not knowing where our next meal was coming from. So when my Dad left, the only real option my brother had was to join the military. And I got accepted in Quantico."

He looked up from where he was sitting, his eyes full of pain.

"My brother was killed in Iraq about 7 years ago. An IED took him and 4 of his unit out with him."

Liz's heart sank as she listened to what he went through.

"Ressler", she said fighting back tears. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Liz…" he said, softly smiling. "I'm ok. I just…. I've been holding onto this property for years not knowing what to do with it. Not knowing if I should sell it or keep it and try to do something with it. But last year I finally decided to fix it up and get it on the market for another family to buy."

"I got an offer a few days ago." He got up and walked over to her. "Maybe they can make some better memories in this place than I grew up with."

He stood in front her now and she resisted the urge to reach out to him. She wanted to let him know he wasn't alone anymore. But she knew how vulnerable he must have felt giving her this piece of him. She didn't want to over do it with reaction.

A soft knock came from behind them and she jumped.

He chuckled softly and went to open the door for the realtor.

Liz nodded politely as they both excused themselves and went into the kitchen to go over the details.


	17. Chapter 17

It was almost an hour later and she could still hear them talking. Liz had tried not to snoop. Tried not to run her fingers and eyes over everything in the house that may have given some clues into what Ressler had actually gone through as a child.

She couldn't believe he had opened up this part of himself to her. It made her appreciate. And scared.

Whatever was happening between them was happening fast. And even though she wanted it. Craved it. She didn't want to push the envelope too hard.

She found herself wandering upstairs and hoped Ressler wouldn't mind. She went into the first room off the stairs and immediately knew it was Ressler's growing up. It was meant for a little boy with a big bay window and a narrow closet that could act as a fortress if needed.

She ran her hands over the window pane and turned around suddenly when she heard footsteps.

"Ressler… I hope you don't mind." She said apologetically. "This house is just so beautiful... I wanted to see the rest of it …."

"Liz… it's fine. I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't want you to see it."

He walked over to her and looked out onto the rolling hills from the bay window.

"This was my room growing up." He said, looking out across the property. "My brother and I used to imagine we were explorers and just get lost out there all day."

He paused.

"I always imagined one day I'd bring my kids back here on weekends or holidays and watch them doing the same thing."

He sighed heavily and turned his body, looking around the room.

"I couldn't keep the original furniture obviously, so I had it staged recently with some items that may appeal to buyers."

She looked over at some of the antiques and smirked.

"Come on Ressler… I know how much you adore that Victorian style bed."

He laughed and turned around to look her in the eyes. His face becoming more serious.

"I hope it's okay… that I brought you here." He said softly. "I was nervous it would be too much. I don't normally… I've never brought anyone here. "

She read between his words and understood what he was saying. He wasn't used to sharing this part of his life with anyone… not even Audrey.

She stepped closer to him. Their faces a few inches apart.

"I'm honored, Ressler." She said in a whisper.

He bent over slowly and kissed her. His lips barely touching hers, but the spark as strong as ever. He hadn't kissed her in almost two weeks. Not since the first night they shared. And he realized in this instant how much he had missed it. How much he had missed her.

He pulled away slightly and opened his mouth to speak.

"I couldn't do it." He said softly as he stared into her eyes.

Liz didn't understand. "Couldn't do what?"

Ressler hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip. "I couldn't sign the paperwork to accept the offer. That's why I came here. A young couple had put in a full-price, cash offer a few days ago. I came here today to sign the paperwork to make it official."

He looked down at her lips and back up to her eyes. "I think that's why I brought you here. To silently talk me out of it."

Liz backed away from his slightly, still not understanding. "Ressler…"

"I want this, Liz. With you." He said slowly, trying to ease his way into his feelings. "This house…. This house has so many bad memories but it also has so many good ones. Memories that I always imagined sharing with my wife, my kids…. My family."

Ressler saw her eyes get big and thought about stopping before it was too late. But he couldn't. He needed her to know.

"I know things are moving fast, Liz. I know we just started into whatever this thing is between us. But I see it, Liz. I see you and me. Together." He stopped abruptly and continued to look over at her, trying to read her expression.

"I know this is a lot and I know you're probably not ready for all of this… But…"

His voice stopped suddenly when he saw her fly across the room, closing the space between them. Her lips devouring his and pushing him back towards the window where they were just standing. She continued kissing him, her hands framing his face.

He felt her fingers move up into his hair, softly massaging and sending his nerves into a scatter. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer to him, their bodies tightly pressed against one another. Ressler moaned softly as his hands softly roamed her body.

She pulled away suddenly and opened her eyes slowly to look at him.

"Ressler…. I love you." She said softly. "I'm in love with you... I have been for so much longer than I wanted to admit."

She kissed him again, this time with as much passion as she could muster. She felt him respond instantly and felt her shirt being pulled over her head and her bra unclasped.

He lowered her down onto the plush rug and felt the soft fibers envelop her bare back. He peeled off her pants and underwear and stopped in his tracks as his eyes roamed her naked body.

She watched as his gaze went from her bare breasts and hovered over her core. Liz had never felt more vulnerable. He was examining her inch by inch. Taking in every single detail about her. She realized in that moment that their previous love making had been at night. In dimly lit rooms. This was the first time he was truly seeing her.

His eyes finally made their way to hers. She tried to read the expression on his face but she couldn't.

He opened his mouth to speak and then hesitated before finding the nerve again.

"I'm not sure what I did to ever deserve you Elizabeth Keen."

She watched him eyes close as he spoke softly back to her.

"I love you Liz. More than you will ever know."

He watched her eyes get bigger at his declaration and bent down to kiss her again.

Liz closed her eyes, kissing him back, reveling his touch. This man. This man whom she had fought off for so long had made her way into her heart. And she was afraid there would be no way to rid herself of him. She didn't want to.

She tore his shirt off and pushed his pants and boxers off of him. She softly held his face between her hands as her lips found their way to his ear.

"Make love to me, Ressler."

He hesitated. "Liz, I didn't bring any…."

She cut him off with a kiss before he could complete his sentence.

"Ressler, don't you understand?" She said as she laid down on the rug looking back at him.

"I want all of you."

She watched the hunger return to his face as he leaned over her body, kissing her fiercely and entered her with one thrust.

She moaned loudly and bit down on his lip as he moved in and out of her. Her body was close already and she had to reign her emotions back so she could make it last.

She loved the way he felt inside of her and she made sure to let him know it. She wrapped her legs around him and begged him to send her over the edge.

"Ressler… ", she moaned. "God, Ressler, please."

She felt his body shiver as his pace fastened and he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Tell me, Liz." He said heatedly. "Say it."

"Come inside of me, Ressler." She yelled as she felt her body start to tingle as he plunged himself harder and deeper inside of her.

"Ressler…." She screamed again as she lost control and felt herself buck underneath of him.

Ressler lost himself in the feeling of his partner and soon joined her. She felt him fill her as his body shook and she watched his eyes never leave hers as he came down from the sensation.

She reached up to kiss him softly on the lips as they both continued to catch their breath.

When she pulled away, his eyes got soft.

"Liz, I promise that I will never hurt you. I need you to know that."

"I do." She said softly.

He nodded and smiled back down at her. "Well…. We have the whole weekend to christen this house." He said as a smirk rose upon his face. "You up for it?"

She rolled him over, straddling him. "Yes, Ressler. I think I am."


End file.
